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OAKLAND–A San Lorenzo woman was sentenced Thursday to two and a half years in prison for stealing more than $300,000 from people who believed she was acting as an attorney for them, the Department of Justice said.

Ana Lissa Reyes, 42, pleaded guilty in April to engaging clients from the Bay Area law firm where she was a paralegal, settling their claims and then keeping the settlement proceeds, prosecutors said Thursday. Reyes also admitted to stealing clients’ retainer fee payments and underreporting her income from 2006 until 2011, during which she carried out the fraud.

Reyes has been convicted of five counts of mail fraud and six counts of tax evasion, and ordered to repay $328,000 in restitution to victims. She must also pay $67,000 to the Internal Revenue Service.

Karina Ioffee covers the city of Richmond and West Contra Costa County. She has been a reporter for 15 years and has won numerous awards for her work, including from the Overseas Press Club. She speaks Spanish and Russian and is a former competitive gymnast. When not working, she likes to do yoga, cycle and dance.